Shaquille O'Neal refuses to back down from bold comparison between Victor Wembanyama and Bol Bol

Shaquille O'Neal doesn't believe Victor Wembanyama is the first 7-foot player we've seen who has a dribble package to their game. The former NBA champion previously said how Bol Bol could also dribble the ball and shoot 3s. However, O'Neal did stop short of saying the two players are at a similar level.

Wembanyama has started his rookie season strong. He's already earning praise from players around the league, as well as from NBA alumni. O'Neal's comments weren't supposed to be seen as disparaging. Instead, he was sharing an observation that Wembanyama's skillset isn't unique to the league, even though it is more refined.

In a recent post to his Instagram Story, O'Neal doubled down on his take regarding Bol Bol by posting a reel that discussed the similarities between the two players, with the creator also noting how O'Neal never claimed that Bol Bol was better than Wembanyama, or even at the same level.

Shaquille O'Neal's Instagram Story

O'Neal is well known for posting other's content to his Instagram if he agrees with the message the content is trying to share. His decision to share the post is likely O'Neal's way of doubling down on his original take.

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What did Shaquille O'Neal originally say about Bol Bol?

Shaquille O'Neal's original comments about Bol Bol and Victor Wembanyama appeared in a recent NBA TNT broadcast. The veteran big man took issue with how the rookie was being heralded as the first player to enter the league with his skill set:

“Y’all act like you never seen a guy like [Victor Wembanyama] before. Yes, you have. His name is Bol Bol. And I stand on what I said.”

Both Wembanyama and Bol Bol have displayed an ability to dribble the ball and score from deep. However, Wembanyama's skillset is clearly more refined and there is a deeper "bag" to his game. O'Neal never said there wasn't a talent discrepancy, though.

Instead, he was simply pointing out that Bol Bol can do similar things, just not at the same level. Since entering the NBA, the former second-round draft pick has struggled to cement a role for himself in the league. He has played a total of 125 games in five seasons, although that will rise as the current season progresses.

Bol Bol's defense is also drastically behind Wembanyama's, with the fifth-year center averaging less than a block per game. Bol Bol's perimeter game is also far less developed than the San Antonio Spurs star, as is his interior scoring. Wembanyama is already looking like a potential superstar in the NBA, while Bol Bol is clawing to remain in the league.

As such, it goes to show that having an all-round skillset is only valuable if that skillset is at a high level. Otherwise, it may be better to be a specialist in a bench role.